Fire of the Dawn
by Dawn of Fire
Summary: Legolas/OC, slightly A/U. Dragons and Elves, mixed up in a fantasy that could result in certain death...or sucessful attainment of their goals...only time, and your reviews, will tell.
1. Default Chapter

A red dawn rose, coloring the sky with beautiful hues of dark reds and purples to light pinks and blues. Not a good thing. Not a good thing at all. A red dawn always spelled trouble.  
  
Avatre walked slowly in the morning light, feet light and head bent in thought. *Arrogant men and their pride. Who in their right mind would declare war on elves? Much less, the elves of Mirkwood, the one race least tolerant of man. What idiots.* She looked up and veered her direction slightly towards the training grounds.  
  
The only reason she even had a part in this bloody war was the misfortune of being born different. Imagine! What a racial group of people. Ever since Avatre could remember, the people of her village had shunned her because of her different image and powers, though she had lived there all her life, in the quiet village of Kashet. It was so painfully obvious that Avatre was apart from the norm. With her dark green eyes and twilight blue hair, her image was a constant reminder of the different, the one who does not fit in. Her power and affinity with fire did not help either. Rumors of Avatre being a dragon child, or some kind of changeling were always flitting around. Avatre had no parents. She had been an orphan since she could remember, when some members of the village found her in the forest, as a baby.  
  
*Enough of that self-pity,* she chided herself, *Time to focus on the task ahead.* Unlike the rest of the land of Altra, the village of Kashet wanted no part in this war. They were a cowardly bunch. Their *brilliant* idea of guaranteeing themselves safety and getting rid of Avatre was to present a jewel and gold laden Avatre for the promise of safety from the elves. Of course, they did not ask Avatre's permission on this. She sighed and tried to look to the more positive side of things. Maybe it'd be a bit more interesting in Mirkwood. It didn't help that there were constant stories about how enchanting beautiful yet how bloodthirsty elves could be. She arrived at the training grounds.  
  
Here, Avatre was made up in her best, with an expensive gold threaded dress and pounds of jewelry hanging from her arms. And she was supposed to walk in this? Avatre scowled. And worst yet, she was going to be escorted to the very front door of Mirkwood, to ensure that she wouldn't run away. *There goes my escape plan,* she thought. An especially nosy lady that Avatre hated walked up to her.  
  
"It's about time you got a fate you deserved, you witch," she sneered in Avatre's face.  
  
"I hope the elves hate me and shoot you with a poisoned arrow," snarled Avatre.  
  
The woman surrounding Avatre backed away. *Probably thinking I'll put a curse on them or something,* she thought bitterly. *The sooner I get away from here, the better.* Just then, her escort arrived, consisting of four men and four horses.  
  
"And where do I ride?" Avatre inquired, not liking the look of these men at all.  
  
One of the men motioned toward his saddle, eyes leering at Avatre.  
  
"No. Way." She backed away, anger flashing in her eyes, "I'd rather walk."  
  
The man who had motioned at her earlier climbed off his horse, and without even a word of warning grabbed Avatre in a very undignified way and hoisted her up onto the horse. Naturally, Avatre kicked and screamed about this, protesting, threatening and cursing in every language she knew, which was about three or four (English, various forms of Elvish, and a bit of Dwarfish). It took several hours by horseback and by this time, Avatre had resigned herself to an angry silence. Finally, they reached the great forest of Mirkwood.  
  
Here, a host of elves melted right out from the forest, armed with long daggers and drawn bows. They were just as beautiful as the stories told, men and woman alike. Most had long blond hair and were dressed up in hunting gear. Like most elves, they had a sort of 'supernatural' aura about them.  
  
"What are these foolish men, our current enemy, doing on the edge of our territory?" one elf said in the language of man, so that the humans could understand.  
  
The man who had dragged Avatre out of the saddle gave a short bow of sarcastic respect. The elves seemed to pick up on this hostility and did not relax their weapons.  
  
"We are here to offer this maiden and everything she has on her for the promise that you elves will not attack our village, Kashet," he declared.  
  
Avatre glared daggers at him. He glanced back with a look that said: You mess this up, and pay the consequences later.with pain. Anger smothered in Avatre's chest. *I'd rather the elves take me then leave me to these beasts,* she thought, glancing at the elf that bargained with her life.  
  
"Why would we need gold, or jewelry? We have abundance of this metal," said the elf. Avatre's face dropped. "But we will take the girl as a prisoner," he added.  
  
"What about our village?" the man asked, horrified as Avatre stripped off the precious metals and stones as if they were dirt, which of course, was the value that Avatre thought the items at. "Your village has no guarantee of protection, and I do not speak for all the elves of Mirkwood. Now be gone!" The elf motioned threateningly.  
  
The men hastily retreated, leaving Avatre there, prisoner of the elves. Did she leave one jail only to end up in another? The elves whispered among themselves, presumably about what to do with Avatre. The subject of their discussion was absorbed in looking around at the large trees and the strange and beautiful creatures, some of which she had only heard of in tales, and some she had never even dreamed existed! There were birds flitting to and fro, brilliantly striped with iridescent neon colors. Avatre shivered as she remembered the various stories about orcs and spiders. There was a small stream nearby that ran sparkling crystal clear. The sunlight penetrated the canopy of the trees only in shafts, giving everything a half-light, giving the elves a 'shaded' and mysterious look upon them. Even as Avatre appreciated the unique beauty around her, a plan to escape was already forming in her mind. 


	2. Secret?

Avatre debated whether using her powers now would help or not. Deciding not, she turned her attention from the beautiful nature around her to the elves' words. Perhaps they may have suspected her knowing the elvish language, but Avatre played dumb, and thus turned suspicion from herself. She did listen carefully, however, as the elves' discussion was most likely about her fate.  
  
"I say that we either kill her here, or take her back. How useful could she be if her own village was willing to dump her?" said one elf (in Elvish), glancing over at Avatre.  
  
"I don't know.this is a bit too convenient. We should take her back for the king to decide," inserted another elf, this one armed with a sword, to the contrast of the bows around him.  
  
Avatre struggled to keep her expressions from showing on her face. As she listened to different comments, each one different from the last, at last she could not help bursting out.  
  
"Will you fools make up your mind and kill me already?"  
  
The elves all stared at her.  
  
"Oops."  
  
Avatre mentally hit herself. *Only me! Only I would do something so stupid like to reveal that I know their language!* She began to hit her head on the nearest possible object. In this case, a tree. A hand gently stopped her.  
  
"Well, that was a surprise. So you know the elvish language.I am Ari, short for Arianel." A female warrior looked down at Avatre. She smiled. "I was for you staying alive, you know."  
  
Avatre gave a wry smile. "Well, I'm glad you think so," she said, with a note of insincerity in her tone.  
  
Ari turned to the others and began to introduce the party of 6.  
  
"This is Prince Legolas," she said, pointing to a particularly handsome elf. He wore the usual elf garb of dark green material with a cloak, and carried a long dagger at his side and the customary bow. *Were he not introduced,* Avatre thought, *I would not have known he was a prince!*  
  
Ari motioned at another male, the one with the sword. "This is Havnor, one of the most excellent hunters we have." He had a toughened look upon him, like he had seen many, many years of fighting. *Which he probably had,* Avatre thought, remembering tales of elf immortality.  
  
Ari pointed at two female twins, and introduced them as Aladriel and Adaril.  
  
"The last two are Haraket and Coresan."  
  
Coresan glared at Avatre, and she shivered. She was going to find no friendship from him. However, she seemed to be safe for now. The elves gathered their beautiful elvish steeds and Legolas offered to ride with Avatre.  
  
"That Altran mortal will most likely back stab you if you let her ride with you, Prince," Coresan called, with an expression of disdain aimed at Avatre.  
  
"I think I will be safe, thank you," replied Legolas, clearly thinking he was not in danger, and added, "I doubt such a beautiful lady could harm me."  
  
Avatre debated between accepting the compliment nicely, or taking it as an insult of being underestimated. She decided the latter and whacked the prince lightly on the head. He gave a look of surprise and chuckled.  
  
"Perhaps not so helpless after all!"  
  
Avatre scowled. "I shall have to challenge you to a duel then!"  
  
"When we get back, my lady, I will be honored to accept your invitation," Prince Legolas replied, giving a short bow. "For now, would you please get up on Seftu? She's the mare that you will be riding today."  
  
Avatre nodded and clamored onto the horse, trying not to get tangled in her dress. Once Legolas was sure she was on and in place, he hopped up behind her. Avatre blushed as she felt Legolas entwine his hands around her waist. She quickly regained her composure, though.  
  
"Oh, and just call me Legolas," he added, looking back into Avatre's green eyes.  
  
Avatre blushed, "I forgot to tell you my name, I'm Avatre."  
  
"Avatre." He tasted the name on his tongue. It was sweet. 


	3. Arrival at Mirkwood, New Fellowship?

A/N: Hiya! I just realized that I hadn't been putting disclaimers on here, but I figured you'd know that I don't own Tolkien's works. -_- But I do own Avatre and most her companions.  
  
The ride to the alleged castle was of decent length. Not too long as to be boring, and not too short to be over without a conversation. All around in the murky woods were creatures of every shape and form. More than once, Haraket or one of the twins would shoot at some dark, scuttling shape in the gloom. Avatre was not delighted to find out they were giant spiders, who at first chance, would try to eat them. To distract Avatre, Legolas struck up a light conversation.  
  
"What are you, milady, if you do not mind me saying so?" Legolas inquired politely. Avatre paused. After a silence, she answered, "I don't know."  
  
"I think Elrond might know," he said, "He's here visiting from Rivendell."  
  
There was an uncomfortable silence after that, as Legolas thought about Avatre's answer, and Avatre herself struck up a conversation with Adaril about where they were heading. Havnor interrupted by announcing they were here. Avatre gasped. It was magnificent. That was the only word that would describe it. Gold inlaid the seemingly moonlit marble-like material. Other cooling colors intertwined in enchanting designs and beautiful pictures. In the late summer that it was, the green of the trees gave the fairy tale castle's marble material a soft green glow. Avatre could only imagine what it looked like in the gold of autumn and snow white of winter. A voice whispered in her ear, and she jumped, startled.  
  
"Do you like it, milady?"  
  
Avatre shook herself out of her trance-like state and nodded feverishly.  
  
"It's beautiful," she said, still awed.  
  
Havnor chuckled at Avatre's expression, and Avatre smiled. Coresan grumbled something about letting mortals into Mirkwood. Aladriel or Adaril, Avatre couldn't tell which, came up to her.  
  
"I still remember when Aladriel and I (*Adaril then,* Avatre thought) first arrived here from the East, a couple hundred years ago. We wore an expression just like you!" She giggled.  
  
Avatre smiled as they headed in. The inside proved to be just as magnificent as the outside. The group dispersed and Ari offered to show her the room she'd be staying in for the current time. Avatre thanked her and they set off. They went through a complete maze (*Must remember this if I don't want to get lost tomorrow,* Avatre thought) and ended at a lovely room with blue coloring everywhere.  
  
"I thought you might like this guest room, it matches your hair," Ari commented, "I'll leave you 'till tomorrow, and if you're hungry, there's food on the table there."  
  
"Thank you, Ari," Avatre smiled gratefully.  
  
Avatre was starving, so she finished the heavenly food quickly. What a day, she thought, as she snuggled under the covers exhausted. She fell asleep quickly. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Avatre woke slowly and pleasantly. Sunlight streamed through the window, and memories of the previous afternoon/night flooded her mind. A smile stretched lazily upon Avatre's features. *It's so pretty here.* Avatre was loathe to rise, but got up quickly when Ari knocked on the door and announced that breakfast would be in a half hour.  
  
Avatre flung open the nearby wardrobe and discovered dresses upon dresses. A particularly pretty one caught her eye. It was a light green with gold and dark blue lining. It brought out her green eyes and dark blue, almost black, hair. Avatre quickly got dressed, struggled to make her hair presentable, and finished in time to hear a light knock and Legolas' voice float in.  
  
"Lady Avatre? I'm to escort you to breakfast, if you're ready."  
  
Avatre opened the door. Legolas, Prince that he is, looked radiant, even at this time in the morning. He was dressed in a light blue tunic, bringing out his gorgeous eyes, and his pants looked to be made of some kind of silky black material.  
  
"Ready?" Legolas offered an arm.  
  
Avatre nodded and took the pro-offered arm. Their gaits matched perfectly, and they headed down to the dining hall. Avatre and Legolas arrived at the hall to find everyone waiting for them. She colored slightly as everyone stopped his or her conversation to look at her.  
  
Avatre could clearly tell who the king was, as he was the one who sat at the head of the table. To his right was an elf of great stature. He wore a circlet of gold, showing high status. The rest Avatre recognized, the hunting party she had arrived with. There were two empty seats to king's left, presumably for her and Legolas. Havnor was next to the empty seats, and the twins Adaril and Aladriel, seemingly youngest, sat at the end. Haraket sat between Coresan and Ari, who was seated next to the high- stature elf. Legolas introduced his father, King Thranduil and Elrond from Rivendell as the unknown elf.  
  
Avatre sat down and nervously shifted around in her seat, as Elrond's look pierced right through to her soul. As they ate, after a discussion, King Thranduil decided to let her stay. A grin stretched across Avatre's face, and she thanked him profusely. Coresan glared at her, but she paid him no mind. At this point, Elrond spoke up.  
  
"You may want to reconsider this choice, Thranduil. This here is no mortal, but a dragon child."  
  
Ari gasped, and murmurs broke out as this information sank in. Avatre covered her face in her hands. Her worst fears and the villagers' harsh rumors had come true. Elrond continued.  
  
"I can tell, Lady Avatre, that you are not aware of your heritage, so I will explain it to you. You have the uncommon ability to communicate with dragons, both good and corrupted, and have an affinity with fire. I sense that you know this, and are able to control your ability?"  
  
Avatre dully nodded, still quite shocked.  
  
"Fire will not harm you, and you can start one by simply thinking of it."  
  
Memories flooded Avatre's mind of back when she was young. When she had been scared or angry, mysterious fires popped up, and sometimes killed people. It didn't take long for the villagers' to connect this with her. She had long since learned to control it.but the villagers never forgot.  
  
"Dragons are also immortal." Elrond droned on about how they had been created at the time of the elves and other historic events.  
  
Avatre struggled with this information and finally spoke up.  
  
"You must be mistaken. . . I am simply mortal!" she cried, almost in desperation.  
  
Elrond raised an eyebrow. "Never have I seen a being who so desperately denied its species. Listen. You are a dragon in mortal form. Something terrible must have happened for your parents to transform you and leave you. For dragons, such large creatures they are and even with the amount of magic they have, it takes three dragons together to transform only one. I have no idea how it is done. Nobody other than the dragons themselves has witnessed a transformation. Thranduil," Elrond changed his attention to the king, "With this new information, I ask you to again decide this youngling's fate."  
  
King Thranduil thought carefully. If this dragon was but a child, she needed her own kind. It was but a simple, yet kind, decision.  
  
"You shall not stay here." The room clamored in protest; "Instead, I shall set a willing group to escort this Lady Dragon to the Dragon Lands."  
  
Instantly, Ari, Legolas, Havnor, Adaril, Haraket, and Aladriel volunteered. Coresan sat there unwavering.  
  
"So be it. Together you make a company of seven. The Dragon Companionship you shall be," Elrond announced. 


	4. On our wayhopefully

The party was due to leave at dawn. They would be traveling to the Dragon Lands by way of the Alder pass, stopping at Rivendell, and from there, ten fortnights before they were to reach the lands.  
  
"All in all," Elrond said, "The trip, provided you are not stopped by orcs, spiders, or anything else of the sort, should take most of a month."  
  
Avatre yawned. She was not used to being up this late, and having to leave at dawn tomorrow. Legolas noticed Avatre's fatigue.  
  
"Elrond sir, I think it is time for us to retire if we are to be awake in the morning," he interrupted Elrond as he was going on about supplies.  
  
"Too true, Legolas," Elrond replied, "Leave, and be up at the crack of dawn, ready to be off."  
  
Avatre barely noticed how she got to her room, but she collapsed on the bed. The moment she lay down to sleep, it seemed like someone was shaking her awake.  
  
"Wha?" Avatre blearily looked at Ari shaking her awake, "Is it time already?"  
  
Ari nodded and left, assuming Avatre would dress and prepare. Avatre wearily got up and dressed in an outfit that consisted of light green, dark green, and more green. She also found an elven cloak waiting for her. It was very light, and from the stories she had heard, it had the special power of disguise. The oak leaf clasp was very pretty, too. All the provisions were packed already, and waiting by the bedstand. Lying next to the bag was a beautiful dagger.  
  
*To protect myself, no doubt,* Avatre thought with half a mind awake.  
  
"Why did I have to be special?," she lamented aloud, "All I wanted was to be normal. That's all I wanted."  
  
She thought back to when this had all started. Elrond seemed almost. . . afraid. As if he wanted them to be off as soon as possible.  
  
*Didn't even have time for the duel Legolas promised me.*  
  
"Oh well," she sighed, "Might as well be off."  
  
She opened the door into the hallway and realized she had no idea where she was going. Avatre swerved to the right, hoping she was right, and proceeded down that way. Eventually she ended up in a labyrinth of twisting halls.  
  
"Hmmm, I think I went this way already," she said to herself, "Argh! I'm lost."  
  
Avatre sat on the floor, and leaned back upon a pillar. Surely it wouldn't hurt to take a little nap until someone found her. After all, it was only dawn. . .  
  
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~  
  
"Where is she?" Legolas demanded to Ari, "She should have been here by now IF you had guided her!"  
  
Ari scowled. "It was a mistake. I, being only 825, give or take a few years, am allowed to make mistakes."  
  
Legolas felt an oncoming headache. Elrond was going to have his head broiled for this.  
  
"I'll go search for her, Havnor, make sure everyone else has everything they need." Legolas disappeared into the reaches of the castle.  
  
Legolas looked around various hallways.  
  
*She can't have gone too far,* he thought.  
  
He almost gave her up for lost forever until he spotted a lump leaned against a pillar. A lump with blue hair.  
  
"Avatre!" Legolas shook her awake.  
  
"Eh," she mumbled something and leaned against his shoulder to go back to sleep.  
  
"Avatre! Wake up!"  
  
"Ok, ok."  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
When Avatre had been in the village of Kashet, she did duties with the animals because "she had no other useful use." Therefore, she was familiar with riding horses and placing saddles, bridles, etc. right? Wrong. Avatre stared at the saddles, reinless, bitless horses.  
  
"How do I get on?" The horse was pretty tall, too.  
  
Havnor smiled at the plight she was in. "Here, I'll give you a boost."  
  
Avatre flashed a grateful look at him. "How do I steer?"  
  
"Usually we talk to them, or use signals with our legs. Because you're new at this, your horse should naturally follow whoever's in front of you, unless you confuse him. By the way, his name is Trepp."  
  
"Trepp," Avatre tried the name out on her tongue and smiled.  
  
A/N: A bit short, but I did want to get this out, considering I haven't updated in. . . forever. :-D R&R! Actually it's just R, because to get down here you must have read it already. 


End file.
